John Noucher, 74, Long Beach

John Noucher loved walking on the beach with friends, whether it was in Fort Lauderdale or his most recent home in Long Beach.

Pete Law met Noucher in 2002 while walking on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. Once they became friends, Noucher and Law began walking together on the Fort Lauderdale beach five days a week, excluding Wednesdays and Saturdays. Noucher, 74, lived in Pompano Beach, Fla., and Law was a resident of Wilton Manors, Fla.

Noucher moved to South Mississippi in March, settling in Long Beach. Law heard from a mutual friend that Noucher died Aug. 29 when Hurricane Katrina struck.

"I will miss him,'' Law said. "He was a nice person and very likeable. On the beach, we always stopped and talked. He always told Donna and I that we were the happiest people on Earth.''

Mary Ann Stahl of Coconut Beach, Fla., also has fond memories of Noucher, who leaves behind his wife, Elaine.

"What I remember about John is his warm smile,'' Stahl wrote on www.legacy.com.

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